Home Is Where the Heart Is
by eachwednesdayigetlost
Summary: When Jack is bitten by a poisonous snake, the others don't know how to help him. But there is one person who knows what to do.
1. Surviving

**Disclaimer-** J.J. Abrams is a genius. He thought up LOST. Not me. (Sniffles sadly.) But I did make up an orginal character, although I haven't decided what her name is yet.

Also, I haven't abandoned my other fic, so don't worry. They're coming soon! But for now, why don't you enjoy this:

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**Home is Where the Heart Is**

**Chapter One: Surviving**

Jack looked out across the beach. It was near five o'clock in the morning, and he had not slept much the previous night. A nagging feeling sat in the back of brain, forewarning of some hidden danger, although what that was, he was clueless. So he had packed up a small bag of medical supplies, just in case, and made up a bunch of fresh water bottles to take along, as an excuse for his escapade.

But when he arrived, everything was as it should be. There were no signs of anything, or anyone, dangerous. As he turned to walk back to the caves, a voice startled him from behind.

"Three days? Long time, no see, Stranger." Jack turned with a smile.

"Hi, Kate," he said. "But Kate was not alone. Jack groaned inwardly at the sight of Sawyer.

"Busy at Cavetown, Dr. Flintstone?" he said, continuing past them withour waiting for a response.

"I heard that Claire had her baby," Kate said.

"Yes, she did yesterday morning. She named him Sam, after her father."

"I was going to come see them later," Kate said. She glanced over at Jack. "You look tired."

"Well, I couldn't sit still; I didn't sleep very much."

"I know that feeling all too well," Kate said. Jack nodded vaguely and looked on up ahead. Sawyer had turned, waiting for Kate to catch up. His arm rested against a tree, vines cascading down and around the trunk near his feet. Jack brushed the irksome feeling out of his head.

"So what are you doing out here so early?"

"Chores," Kate said with a lighthearted smile. "It's Sawyer's turn to go to the fruit trees, but, of course, he doesn't know where they are," Kate continued, holding up a small twig. "Guess who drew the short straw." Jack returned her smile, and looked back in front of him. That's when Jack saw it. Among the vines and roots, a long, black and yellow snake was slithering close to Sawyer's feet, his home and nap obviously disrupted. As the snake lunged, so did Jack, pitching Sawyer forward into the sand.

But in the process, Jack's foot caught on a hidden root and he fell, face-down. He shouted out in pain as the snake spring at him, catching his left calve.

Immediately his whole leg began to tingle. Sawyer grabbed the knife that had been tied to his belt lip, and quickly threw it at the retreating snake, cleanly severing its head from its body.

Kate helped Jack to his feet, and he hobbled a few yards, leaning on her small frame. But then he fell back down.

"Sawyer," Kate said, thoroughly frustrated. He was still peering down at the serpent. "A little help would be nice."

"Sorry, Freckles," he said, throwing the dead animal into his bag. "This is ten times better than anything I've ever seen in 'National Geographic.'"

"Just help me," Kate snapped, getting underneath one of Jack's arms to support him. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I've been better," he said. "I think that snake was poisonous."

"Shh," Kate said. "Just stay still. That'll stop the poison from moving through your blood so fast, right?" Jack smiled.

"Thank you, Freckles. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the doctor," Sawyer said. "Now let's get out of here before its family comes."

"What, you think that snakes will hold vendettas against you too?" Sawyer let a few choice words fly, but Kate ignored him, and then they silently made their way back to the camp.

Sayid was awake, taking over for Boone, who had taken the night shift watching the signal fire. As Kate and Sawyer carried Jack, he ran over to help. Soon the doctor was lying as close as they could get him to the fire, covered in eagerly lent blankets.

He was shivering with a chill, and his face was flushed. The only thing that seemed to comfort the others even a little bit was that Jack slept for a few hours at a time.

After awhile of standing about, watching him, they divided themselves into shifts to watch over Jack. Sayid and Kate were first.

"What should we do?" he asked in a low tone.

"He's the doctor," Kate said, eyes staring forward, resting on Jack's sleeping form.

"There must be something," Sayid insisted. He turned at a commotion in the camp. Sawyer and Boone held a young girl by each of her arms. She wore a crude dress, which looked as though it had been hand-made from boar skin. Feathers dangled from her hair, red and matted. She was silent as she struggled to get loose, eyes fixed on Jack's wounded leg.

Sayid shared a look with Kate, as they realized that she was not one of the survivors of Flight 815. The girl continued to struggle without a word.

"Let her go," Locke said, stepping forward from the back of the crowd. Boone immediately dropped his hold on the girl's arm, but Sawyer resisted.

"Why should I, Hunter-Boy?"

"Because she knows how to help Jack."

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**A/N:** So, what do you think?I will update my stories as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I Spy something purple. It's shiny, and it says "Submit Review." Presents to anyone who can find it.


	2. A Crude Cure

**Home Is Where the Heart Is**

**Chapter Two: A Crude Cure**

Locke told them to show the girl what the snake looked like. Kate dropped to her knees and drew a long, squiggly line in the sand. She filled it in with clumps of black seaweed, and put yellow flower petals on in stripes. The girls' eyes widened and she looked up at Locke.

She climbed to her feet and ran into the jungle, glancing over her shoulder, nodding to the others to follow her.

Sayid watched her as she carefully studied the plants at her feet. She pointed to one, and ran to some others to collect them. Using a flat rock, she pounded all of these into a thick paste.

She looked hesitantly at Jack as she lifted up a small sheath that hung at her side, and pulled out a long slender stone that had been sharpened into a knife. She closed her eyes for a second, as if mustering together all her courage.

She held the blade over the flames of the campfire, cleansing it. She looked uncertainly at Jack one more time. Then she slowly, but steadily, brought the knife down to the wound and cut into it.

Jack cried out in pain, but Boone and Sayid held him down, while Locke made sure the leg was still. Kate stood, her back to the scene, eyes full of tears.

After most of the tainted blood flowed out into a coconut bowl, the girl skillfully applied the leafy concoction to the gash and wrapped a big leaf around it, securing it with a length of gauze that someone had found with the medical supplies.

The girl sat back and looked up at Locke. She seemed to trust him, as so many people did upon meeting him.

"Thank you," he said, drawing out the words. She nodded as if she understood. Kate sat back down next to Jack, and they prepared to play the waiting game.

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Review Returns (Plus an A/N at the very bottom) :

**October Sky-** Thanx for reviewing. Poor Jack will def. have to get better, or writing this was like, pointless. :D

**Lillywriter- **Thank you for taking time to review.

**FanOfLOST-** I'm glad you liked your present, it's jast fascinating that you can type in that box, isn't it. My cat helps me all the time. He likes to watch the cursor move. The other one likes to sit on the keyboard. Once last December,when I was signing onto the internet, she typed stuff with her behind, and we lost our web connection for almost a month! lol. Anyways, thanks for playing with the magic box.

**rain1657**- Thank you. I like original characters too.

**A/N To All:** New chapter, yeah! I will update soon.

Oh, I suppose I'd better disclaimthe whole situation with the drawing the snake and the cure with leaves and stuff. That was from a movie called _Stranded_. It's a Swiss Family Robinson story, and it's really long. The mom gets bit by the snake, and this native guy, Namatiti helps her.

Yeah. It's a good movie. Pirates, people lost on an island, wild animals, all of those things are a plus for me!

I will close this now, I have to update a few other things. Please click on the little purple button! Pretty please with cherries on top?


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